WYEP Music Blog

There are over one hundred bands playing at this year’s Bonnaroo festival, so you might as well face it — you’re not going to see everyone you like. Instead, you’re inevitably going to be faced with a choice that could very well make or break your musical experience.

No one wants to be on the wrong end of the “Oh man, did you see so-and-so’s set? It was mind-blowing!” conversation, silently steaming over why you chose to watch Gaslight Anthem over Edward Sharpe. But don’t despair — after hours of intensive, scientific research, we here at Owl and Bear have come up with a list that guarantees your satisfaction. Continue Reading…

With more than 100 musical acts and six stages to choose from, it’s easy to fill your day at Bonnaroo. And then there are movies, comedy (Conan O’Brien, Aziz Ansari, Margaret Cho and more), even World Cup soccer or NBA finals to watch if you need to get a sport fix beyond seeing people deal with the inevitable muddy conditions. (The weather people are calling for mid to high 80s and thunderstorms. Every day of the festival.)

This will be my first trip to Bonnaroo, so naturally I will be cramming as much music into my days there as possible. I have to see Stevie Wonder, b/c he’s Stevie Wonder! I’ll be going to see Brandi Carlile, either her full set at That Tent, or her 30 min appearance at the Sonic Stage. Oh, who am I kidding, I’ll probably go to both, despite the fact that I’ll will be seeing her again two more times summer.

I trekked to Chicago to see Calexico a few years back, and I’m excited to see them again, as well as my 2nd show by The Gossip. I’ll kick myself, or my fellow ‘Roo-er Amy, if I miss the Dave Rawlings Machine, Carolina Chocolate Drops, or Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.

Two TRAF acts, Ingrid Michaelson & Kris Kristofferson, are at Bonnaroo, so I’m going to try to make it to see them. And I have a chance to get a preview of what Joshua James will play at the WYEP Summer Music Festival.

My big decision happens on Friday, when The National, Tori Amos, Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Raiders, and Michael Franti & Spearheadhave sets that overlap at some point. What is a girl to do? Ultimately, I’ll probably try to see as much of Michael Franti’s set as possible, and the others are going to have to fight for a piece of me.

And, surprise, surprise (if you know me) I am probably going to see my first DMB concert, as they’re closing things out on Sunday night. Never say never, I guess.

Keep reading as Josh from Owl & Bear weighs in with some of his show picks later today. As for me, I have to go re-watch The Lost Boys so that I can skip the temptation to watch it Thursday afternoon…

Since its inception in June 2002, Bonnaroo has become the premiere North American music festival. This year’s outing will be my third excursion to the farmlands of Manchester, Tennessee — I was there for Wilco and Bob Dylan in 2004, and I returned for Beck and Radiohead in 2006.

Each year challenges attendees to survive three days of camping, sweating, and drinking with 80,000 of your strangest friends. So, in part one of Owl and Bear’s Bonnaroo preview, we’ll let you in on a few secrets to surviving a sweltering — but inevitably fun-filled — weekend at Bonnaroo. Continue Reading…..

The 9th Annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival lineup was announced yesterday.  Some of the artists scheduled to appear this year the festival include; The Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Weezer, Flaming Lips performing Dark Side Of The Moon, The Dead Weather, Phoenix, John Fogerty, Jimmy Cliff, Avett Brothers, Norah Jones, LCD Soundsystem, Tori Amos, The National, Jeff Beck, Michael Franti, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Baaba Maal, and the Thievery Corporation.

The complete list of artists appearing at one of the country’s largest music festivals can be found at www.bonnaroo.com.